Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting, creepy horror adventure tweaks superheroics.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
At the start of THE TWELVE-FINGERED BOY, Shreve Cannon wants only to finish his term at the juvenile detention center. But after he's chosen to be the unofficial guardian of Jack, a seemingly weak and shut-down new inmate, Shreve vows to do whatever it takes to protect the younger boy. Together they face off against the mysterious Mr. Quincrux, who has the ability to enter minds and control people from the inside. Shreve and Jack decide they must to escape the center, and their journey toward freedom will take them through some increasingly dark and scary territory.
Is It Any Good?
The Twelve-Fingered Boy is gripping from start to finish, an intense horror/action story that finds new juice in familiar situations. The book has echoes of The Matrix, X-Men and the novels of Stephen King, but author John Hornor Jacobs makes sure those influences don't overwhelm his own voice. Shreve and Jack are very compelling characters, and Jacobs ends the novel in such a way that readers will be anxious to get their hands on the saga's next installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why superheroes so enduring in pop culture. What characteristics do they have that appeal to such a wide audience?
Do people have an unalienable right to privacy? How far should governments be allowed to investigate the private thoughts and personal beliefs of their citizens?
What methods do institutions like juvenile detention centers use to control the behavior of their inmates? Are these methods ever abused by those in authority?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Superheroes , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Carolrhoda Books
- Publication date : February 1, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 15 - 17
- Number of pages : 280
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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